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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. clip — a video
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fork — in a road
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com